When Francesco Molinari became the first Italian to win The Open on Sunday, there was a man in his corner who was familiar to many rugby fans.

It was none other than Dr Dave Alred - the former England kicking guru who coached Jonny Wilkinson and still works with George Ford.

Alred, who played for Bath Rugby in the 70s and was a consultant coach in the Jack Rowell era, has been Molinari's performance coach for the past two years.

He honed the 35-year-old's skills and mind on the practice greens, driving range and out on the course before and throughout the tournament at Carnoustie.

It's not the first time he's worked with golfers; having helped Luke Donald reach world number one, but he proved once again that the fundamentals he fosters in rugby - particularly performance under pressure - are transferrable.

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­"Once something has become comfortable, I want to make it ­uncomfortable," Alred told the Telegraph. "The more uncomfortable it is, the more engaged your brain is, the more on it you are and also the deeper the learning."